Seeing Oregon in that title game, I think Bama would have beaten them if they had not lost to Ohio State which was a back and forth game. The pevious year, Winston lead the winning drive in the final minute. A few breaks the other way, the SEC is looking at nine in a row (if Auburn hadn't gotten robbed of an invite in 2004, you are looking at 10 title shots in 11 years). The only SEC team that no showed during bowl season was Ole Miss. The conference is still very strong and lives up the the hype. That doesn't mean there are not other great teams in other conferences but the most total talent and title contenders still reside in the SEC.
This is not a shot at you personally Ziggy because i don't have dog in the fight, but its funny to me a little to hear Aggies brag about the accomplishments of the SEC like they contributed to the titles and the tradition. The Aggies haven't won anything in the SEC yet and never even been to a BCS bowl game while in the Big 12, but consistently taking shots like the trophy case is loaded. At some point you have to prove something other than recruiting wars and being in a conference that you had nothing to do with its winning tradition. As far as this recruiting recycle, it looks like Texas and A&M both had great classes and it was fun to watch. If this is to be expected from here on out between the two schools, then it's going to be fun. I like what A&M did, they needed some LB's and Corners, but a great class....No need for Texas fans to take shots. I like what Texas did yesterday, but they have to wait and see on Locksley...no need for Aggies to take shots. On the outside looking in, its funny to see both sides debating on equal classes lol
I've been on the SEC's nuts for the past 15 years. Undefeated Auburn not going to the title game really grinded my gears. As far as the classes being equal... exactly.
They got the benefit of the doubt for years. They even put two SEC teams that had already played that season in a title game rather than let another team in. This year Bama probably would have won again if they had played FSU in the title game. People would have been saying no way a big 10 school like OSU beats Bama. But this time around the game actually got played and they lost.
When's the last time the number of championship contenders went 4-5 deep and who did one of the SEC champions avoid and as a result get an easy game? When Bama beat Notre Dame a couple of years ago, the three best teams in the nation at the time were Bama, Georgia, and Texas A&M. They played Notre Dame by default because the BCS wasn't putting two SEC teams in the title game again.
They don't want decades worth of case studies, they want to use 1 game (Bama vs tOSU). Nothing you can do about it.
Most years we have no real idea who the best two teams in the nation are. You have the rare years like the Texas/USC and Miami/OSU years where you are pretty sure that you got it right but most years it could be a number of teams. In 2012 pre bowl games the best 3 teams were thought to be Bama, Florida and Notre Dame. Turns out Florida wasn't that good that year but if not for an undefeated Notre Dame we likely would have had an all SEC championship game. The SEC had the defacto tie breaker for a while.
Decades worth of case studies of what? You honestly think the SEC didn't get the benefit of the doubt in a toss up between two conference teams during the last years of the BCS?
Well you misconstrued my argument almost entirely. First of all I said "all of their major teams lost in the bowls this season". The major teams would be Miss St., Alabama, and Ole Miss. They all lost and they are the true measuring stick for how good your conference is. On top of that, Pac 12 had a better postseason and beat more top 40 teams that are non-conference than the SEC or the Big 12. I also conceded that the Big 12 isn't as good as the SEC. That was never even my argument. My argument is that the SEC isn't as great as you guys make it out to be. There are obviously holes in our class. I never said that there weren't. All I said is that UT and TAMU have similar class in quality even after TAMU had a much better year. So once again I ask, how strongly will Strong's recruiting be when UT starts to win some games?
Braden Mann kicker out of Cy-Fair, commits to the Aggies for 2016. Not exactly what I was expecting when Sumlin was talking about expecting a commit today since they JUST signed LaCamera yesterday, but the kid is the 2nd ranked kicker in the country and has an explosive leg so, yea I guess?
So only some of the bowl games count then? OK, I guess I did misconstrue your argument, since I thought a conference's strength was supposed to be measured from top to bottom.
Well regardless, the PAC 12 had a better overall record in bowl games to. So I'm not sure what your point is.
Tennessee loses and has a great recruiting year. TCU has a great year, doesn't do much in recruiting. Stop digging.
That's not digging. The major programs can sell the program based on history, media attention, and promises of returns to glory. That's what Tenn and Texas did this year. When those programs can throw in actual winning their classes tend to stay at the top year after year. Teams like TCU have to win consistently for a very long time before it matters in recruiting. If Strong starts winning he will have top 5 classes almost every year.
Back to Aggie Football, I am assuming we are still on the outside looking on Roquan Smith? Also, any interesting position battles to pay attention to during Spring Practice?
Okay. I mean... Mack Brown wasn't winning at the end and he was getting top 5's. Kiffin was getting top 5's but wasn't winning. Whatever, dude. You're just making a blanket statement you can apply to any program. Not really adding any value for me.
What exactly is my blanket statement? If you think it's that if a coach wins he will get great classes I am not saying that. Oregon has been winning for years and doesn't gets great classes. TCU won for years and never got great classes. The top 5 programs go to mid schools that win or prestigious schools that sell their program. When you are prestigious and winning you dominate in recruiting. And Mack's last class was ranked 17th in the nation. Nobody was buying what he was selling and it's one of the main reasons he got fired. Kiffin didn't have top 5 classes while losing at USC. His first class was ranked 3rd after going 8-5. After that he got the 9th and 12th ranked classes in the nation.
Here were Mack's classes from 2009 onward 5 3 3 2 24 20 Even with top 5 recruiting classes he wasn't winning.
Agreed. Mack was never a great coach IMO. Vince and Colt were able to win with so much talent around them but when there was no qb to carry the load the team fell apart. Mack wasn't going to out scheme other teams like a Saban or Urban would. When the kids stopped coming and he started missing on coaches with Harsin and Diaz it all fell apart.
